New Employee
by ForTheLoveOfCats
Summary: Henrik's not too thrilled about having a new employee - at first. As the story unfolds, the two develop a deep bond for each other, one even Sonny had had not even imagined could happen.
1. Chapter 1

**New Employee - **

**An Unfortunate ****Acquaintance**

Henrik isn't usually a judgmental person, but when he saw a spiky-haired ( of many colors ), young man dressed in super casual clothing and glasses that constantly _slipped _from his nose, he had immediately written him off as a slacker. The man walked up to him to greet him in the lab.

"Hello, my name is Sonny Joon." The new employee reaches his hand out to be shaken. Henrik reluctantly takes it and releases as quick as he can without being rude. "Joanna had already introduced me an' stuff, so I'm good." Henrik glowers at the fact that he had sounded extremely laid-back. He crosses his arms tightly, and raises his chin a bit.

"Well, _my _name is Henrik Van Der Hune. I am the hierogylphist, which means I translate the Mayan gylphs here - hey, are you even listening?" Sonny was gaping in awe at the old HAM radio sitting on Henrik's desk.

"What does this do-"

"Don't touch that without my permission!" Henrik snaps. Sonny smiles instead.

"Can I touch it?"

"No! Anyway, as I was saying-"

"What's that mask for ?"

"I have _allergies_-"

"Is this my desk? Great!" Sonny walks over to the other side of the room and jumps on it, his legs swinging back and forth.

Henrik shakes his head. What was wrong with this boy?_ Can't just listen for a minute without asking so many questions, or without touching things that clearly did not belong to him?_

"Listen up, Joon. As long as you work in this room with _me_, you will do what I say. There will be no loud, obnoxious noises, no talking or incessant rambling unless you are asking me a question, and most importantly, _do your work_." Sonny rolls his eyes and pushes his glasses up for the umpteenth time.

"_Boring_! Besides, you're not Joanna..."

"I am second-in-command. Do you understand?"

"Sure, whatever." Henrik grew annoyed at his rudeness.

"It's _yes _to you," Henrik corrects him. "And we do not tolerate _children _here, nor do we babysit. Some existence of intelligence would be most appreciated, even if its knowing when to shut your mouth." Sonny tenses up and glares at the older man in the eyes.

"I am not a child, and I do _not _need to be baby-sat. I'm _very _intelligent." Henrik picks at his nails.

"Oh, really? I could not tell."

"Don't patronize me-"

"Is everything alright in here?" a voice asks. Joanna had the door wide open, looking concerned. The coworkers stared at her.

"Yes, we are very much fine." Henrik wore a forced smile on his face. Joanna didn't believe him, of course, _the tension was so thick it could be cut with a butcher knife_,but she said 'okay' and left. Henrik glances at the clock, then turns back to Sonny. eight o'clock p.m.

"I want to see you bright and early tomorrow morning, Joon. You have a lot of work to do."

The two pack their things and head outside in silence. They part - Henrik to his car, and Sonny had to walk ( his car was in shop at the moment - a cause of one of his reckless adventures from his last job).

_Plip._

_Plop._

_Plish._

Sonny curses at the inconvenience - it had begun to rain! So, with the last of his pride gone, he runs up the the black Acura and knocks. A window rolls down.

"What do you want?" Henrik snaps. Rain soaks his body and he starts shivering.

"I-Isn't it obv-vious?" Sonny stammers. _Open the car door already!_

Agitated, Henrik reluctantly lets the passenger door unlock and the rain-clad guy gets in.

"Thank you." Henrik mumbles in response and drives off.

"Where do you live?" Sonny gives him directions and Henrik complies to them. After many moments of silence, Sonny chooses to break the tension between them.

"So, how are you coping with your, uh, work?" _I'm so awkward... _Henrik keeps his eyes on the road and snorts.

"I'm still living." Sonny frowns at his pessimistic response.

"Oh. This is a nice car..."

"Yeah." Sonny realized that Henrik's answers were short and ambiguous. _It's not like he knows me anyway._

"Can I turn on the radio?"

"No." Sonny's eyes boredly drift to the passenger window and he sees his house come up in the distance. When Henrik parks, Sonny gets out.

"Thanks for the ride-" Henrik drives off without saying 'goodbye'.

Sonny just stands there, staring into the distance, the rain pelting harder on him.

He decides that he'll walk next time, rain or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**New Employee - **

**Barely Tolerable**

"Good morning, Henrik!" Chirps the younger boy as he walks in the lab, a bag slung over his shoulder. Henrik looks up from his desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Joon." Sonny shifts his bag over to his desk and drops it. Henrik watches him as he does this and studies him. Today, he is wearing an alien shirt, khakis, and sneakers. Untied, of course.

"What?" Sonny asks, catching the man staring him down.

"Nothing." Henrik looks away.

"Hey, I appreciate the ride last night. Thanks again." Sonny smiles and pushes up his glasses on his bright face.

"You're welcome." Henrik doesn't really know what else to say - he was never a very good conversationalist. He had found small talk a waste of time.

"So, how was your morning?" Sonny questions.

"Okay, I guess." Sonny frowns at this and tilts head .

"Why do you do that?" He asks. Henrik squints and scowls.

"Do _what_?"

Sonny sighs loudly and stares at him, as if it were obvious to what he was talking about.

"When I ask you something, or when you talk, your answer shortly. You don't even bother to elaborate." Henrik continues to translate a set of gylphs, not looking up.

"My personal life is none of your business. I come here to work, not socialize Joon. I'm sorry that you expect that I share my innermost intimate details openly and talk my head off about such trivial nonsense. Maybe you're used to it, but _I'm _not."

"I never said that. I would just like to get to know you a bit. "

"Why?"

Sonny comes to the conclusion that Henrik isn't really used to being around other people very often, even outside of work. He was aloof and detached - and he preferred it that way. How could someone live so _disconnected _from other people? Did he not care? Or was that who he was? _He isn't going to let me in right away. He's going to make me work for his trust - and it'll be worth it in the end._

"Never mind." Then Sonny thinks of an idea.

"How about we pick something to share about ourselves each day?" Henrik shrugs. "Come on, Henrik. Ya gotta open up to _somebody_. Having a friend won't hurt-"

"Fine. You go first."

"I believe in aliens."

Henrik scoffs.

"Really? You believe in _aliens_?" Sonny crosses his arms defensively.

"Why not? There is proof that they exist! Its been all over the news lately, on Discovery Channel-"

"Discovery Channel? I didn't know you watched _that_. I didn't know that you enjoy watching documentaries. I thought that you might have found them..._boring_." The last word that rolls off the older man's tongue sounds bitter and Sonny glares at him.

"I'm not a child, you know. And yes, I enjoy documentaries. Just because nobody's as intelligent or prudish doesn't mean you're better than everyone else."

Henrik says nothing and continues to work in silence.

"Your turn."

Sonny is a bit upset from Henrik's berating, but gets over it. It's Henrik's turn now.

"Um, I have been working here for a few months now. I had recently worked for the Chaco Cultural Canyon Center in New Mexico."

Sonny becomes disappointed. He was expecting something actually worth hearing, like a secret or personal detail. _He's Henrik - not you, remember?_

Not that Sonny would share private things to any stranger, but still...

Who else, besides Joanna their boss, knows this guy?


End file.
